Adjustable flue-cap.



M. H. & w. E. CROWLEY.

ADJUSTABLE FLUE CAP. Arrucmbu men MAR. 21, 1914.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOUnAPH ,CO WASHINGTON; II-fit- MICHAEL H. CROWLEY. AND WILLIAM oRow'L Y; or LOGAN, MONTANA.

ADJUSTABLE FLUE-CAP.

- Specification'of LettersPatent. Patented Ap 11 19 16 Application filed Mar h 21, 1914. Serial No. 826,373.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that we, MICHAEL H. CROW- LEY and IVILLIAM E. CROWLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Logan, in the county of Gallatin and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Flue-Caps, of which the following is: a specification.

This invention relates to flue caps; and it has for its primary object the provision of means for simplifying the manner of connecting the cap with the thimble of the flue and for securing the cap in place in such manner that the cap will be positively held against derangement through ordinary causes such as through the action of the wind or the like and we further aim to permit the cap to be tightly adjusted into engagement with a chimney wall over the adjacent end of the thimble so as to close the joint between the cap and the wall and prevent the escape of soot or other foreign particles from the thimble.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure l is a vertical section through a portion of a chimney wall, a thimble and cap, showing the application of the invention to the thim ble; Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the cap and the securing means therefor.

The wall A of the flue structure is of the usual form and is provided with a horizontal thimble B to which the pipe, not shown is adapted to be connected in the customary manner. The outer end of the thimble is closed by a cap 1, which is preferably upstruck so that it is provided with a flange 2 that may be brought to bear against the adjacent surface of the wall, as shown in Fig.1.

Mounted to revolve in the center of the cap 1 is a screw 3. This screw forms part of a securing means for holding the cap in an applied position over the adjacent end of the thimble, which is located in and the inner end 10 of which projects beyond the thimble. The screw extends into the thimble a distance to warrant adjusting the member 4 of the securing means in a longitudinal direction in the thimble. The member 4 is preferably formed from a single piece of resilient sheet metal bent upon itself to provide relatively diverging branches 5, 5

connected togetherby a curved portion 6.

In the portion 6 is an opening 7, through which the screw 3 is extended. Located respectively at the opposite sides of the portion 6 are nuts'? and 8, which find proper threaded connection with thescrew so that when the screw is rotated the said member will be moved in a longitudinal direction in the thimble. It will be noted that the curved portion 6 of the member 4 is between the nuts 78 so that the said nuts not only serve to adjust and hold said member on the screw but also when clamped on opposite sides of the curved portion 6 serve to spread the branches ofsaid member 4 outwardly and hold them effectually against casual disengagement from the inner end of the thimble. The spring branches 5, 5 of the member 4, are adapted to normally separate from each other and. each of these branches is provided with a longitudinal series of teeth-like portions 9 the inner set of which are adapted to engage over the projecting inner end 10 of the thimble, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. By the provision of the series of teeth the-member 5 is adapted to be connected to the inner end of a thimble of any length.

In applying the cap with the thimble an approximate adjustment of the member 4 upon the cap is first made. The member 4is then extended into the thimble and pressure is then applied to the cap and the spurs 9 of the companion branches 5, 5 are consequently made to engage the said projecting inner end 10 of the thimble. To effect the final adjustment of the cap over the adjacent end of the thimble the screw 3 is rotated so as to cause the member 4 and the member 3 to be moved with relation to each other. In this manner the joint between the thimble and the cap will be securely closed and all possibility of soot or other foreign matter in the thimble escaping from the thimble will be eliminated. WVhen it is desired to remove the device from the thimble the screw is operated so as to cause sufficient relative separation of the member 4 from the'cap 1 to permit the hand of the operator to be placed within the flue and the branches 5, 5 pressed by the hand and the spurs 9 of the branches thereby released from the thimble. The device in its entirety may be then freely withdrawn from its applied position. The device as herein contemplated is also-0f a form which will permit the cap to be held over the thimble in a manner which will prevent the cap from being blown off of the thimble. The cap will be held against rattling and it will also be held against derangement from the thimble through any other forces that may be created in the flue.

We claim:

In a flue closure, the combination of a thimble cap, a V-shaped member arranged in rear of the cap, and provided with relatively springing branches having teeth and a curved connecting portion between the branches, a screw mounted in the cap and extending through a central opening in the curved portion ,of the V-shaped member, and nuts engaging said screw and arranged one within and engaged by and the other in front of said curved connecting portion of the V-shaped member and coacting with the 20 screw to longitudinally adjust said V-shaped member and to also spread the branches of said V-shaped member.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL H. CROWLEY. WILLIAM E. GROWVLEY. Witnesses:

W. D. LASKEY, JAMES CROWLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

